Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity company, has outlined its cyber threat predictions for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region in 2024. The forecast underscores the growing impact of digitalization and geopolitical tensions on the vulnerability of organizations and individuals to cyber threats. Anticipated threats range from online scams and phishing attacks to major security breaches.
Vitaly Kamluk, Head of Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT), emphasizes the exponential growth of the APAC’s digital economy. However, he warns that emerging technologies such as digital payments, Super Apps, IoT, smart cities, and generative Artificial Intelligence are not immune to cyber threats. As digitalization efforts increase, cybersecurity becomes crucial for fortifying the region against potential cyberattacks. Kamluk predicts that ongoing geopolitical tensions will likely make the APAC region a target for Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs).
In Southeast Asia, the forecast predicts a heightened scope of online scams and phishing attacks. Following security data breaches and outages in Singapore the previous year, similar threats are expected to persist. Kamluk notes that despite successful operations against such attacks, the scale is likely to grow due to technical and legal illiteracy among those involved.
China is expected to face a surge in APT attacks, particularly targeting personal credit card information despite efforts to combat telecom fraud. The frequency of phishing attacks may increase towards the year-end and early next year.
India’s struggle with scam and fraud cases is expected to intensify with the rise of technologies and digitalization. Adoption of advanced systems like Unified Payments Interface and the popularity of cryptocurrencies could lead to a new wave of scam cases. The move towards smart cities also increases security issues posed by IoT vulnerabilities.
South Korea faces an increasing risk, with major political events becoming opportunities for cyberattacks. Customized threats tailored to exploit South Korea’s unique software landscape are expected to persist.
To enhance security against these threats, Kaspersky recommends various measures for organizations in the APAC region. These include regular software updates, strong passwords, multi-factor authentication for remote services access, and the adoption of reliable endpoint security solutions along with leveraging the latest Threat Intelligence information.
